Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Kanpur Test

As expected, a dry wicket with low bounce has been prepared for Kanpur. And India will predictably go in with three spinners.

Portends - Remember this?

Posted by Homer at 4/10/2008 09:27:00 AM

23 comments:

Pontings_baldspot said...

back during Azhar's heyday.. remember the 5 consective 4's off Klusener in the second test of that series.. oh and he had an injured wrist at that time.. Why azhat why.. did you have to get into that murky world of match-fixing?!?!

3:15 PM, April 10, 2008
Homer said...

Ponting,

must we reopen old wounds?

Cheers

3:22 PM, April 10, 2008
Homer said...

Pontings,

And since are down memory lane, I remember like it was yesterday, listening to the commentators on TMS going on and on about Azhar's 121 at Lords ( when we were Gooched because Kiran More dropped him on 36). And his 152 at Adelaide - listening to the commentary on the transistor during college and getting chucked out of class for the effort. But was it worth it or what!!

Cheers

3:29 PM, April 10, 2008
straight point said...

honors even (today) ??

8:48 AM, April 11, 2008
Homer said...

SP,

Advantage India is my take.. Pulling the Proteas from 152/1 to 265 is an achievement. Doing this on Day 1 of the test ( and giving yourself the luxury of time) is the bigger advantage..

India needs to bat time now - 2 days plus, grind the Proteas down, build a score and put the pressure back on the Aussies on a Day 4 wicket.

Cheers

9:11 AM, April 11, 2008
straight point said...

the ball started reversing as early as around 30-35th over...

as the pattern of innings suggest if we score good in first session if will be like gold...

saffers i think have best attack in the world today...and if we loose early wickets with wobbly middle order...

the game will definitely be on...

9:34 AM, April 11, 2008
Samir Chopra said...

India should make sure they take the runs when they are available; its going to get harder and harder as times goes on.

11:08 AM, April 11, 2008
Pontings_baldspot said...

India's only hope to make some noise in this test is a Sehwag-Dravid 200 run partnership.. This is Dravid's time..

2:18 PM, April 11, 2008
Pontings_baldspot said...

homer, about Azhar's century in Adelaide on Jan 29, 2002.. he had a great partnership with Manoj P while chasing and they came up some 30-40 runs short.. Prabhakar got a harsh decision but that was probably the closest game that whole series.. Aus dominated at Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth and India in Sydney.. Remember an Aussie umpire called Len King who stood in the Melbourne test who would probably make Steve Bucknor look like Superman

2:22 PM, April 11, 2008
Homer said...

SP,

Game on, yes but I like the look of this Indian team. We have strokemakers up and down the order and maybe, just maybe, that is the best way to approach batting on this wicket.

Pile on the runs because survival will be dodgy. And, if we come close to the Proteas total, the pressure will be squarely on Smith.

Cheers

7:55 PM, April 11, 2008
Homer said...

Completely agree Samir :)

7:56 PM, April 11, 2008
Homer said...

Now now pontings, must you forget the cardinal rule of cricket - Australian and English umpires are above reproach.
It is only the sub continental types who either don't know or play fast and free with the rules :)

Cheers

7:58 PM, April 11, 2008
Anonymous said...

While running between wickets, Indian batsmen need to make sure they don't slip through those yawning cracks, which has "Go To Hell" written all over them. Indeed, already the pitch sports a fifth-day-track look. Indian pacers clearly have a perfunctory role here and I would not be surprised if Dhoni opens attack with Harbhajan and Chawla in the second innings.

11:37 PM, April 11, 2008
Homer said...

Radical Som, the idea of Dhoni opening with two spinners :)

9:17 AM, April 12, 2008
Gaurav Sethi said...

Som, point noted. and notarised. even if he doesn't open with spin, get one in, in the first 30 mts.
unless the quicks do an ahmedabad on saf. strangely, still feel our quicks will be the key. also mcenzie has a bell like air about him.

2:46 PM, April 12, 2008
Anonymous said...

Well, Dhoni indeed started with Harbhajan! I stand half-vindicated!

2:47 AM, April 13, 2008
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6:57 AM, April 14, 2008
Anonymous said...

south africa choked... even on this wicket I would not have imagines them playing like this

9:39 AM, April 14, 2008
Homer said...

Som for coach !!! :)

9:39 AM, April 14, 2008
Homer said...

Thanks Hitesh :)

9:41 AM, April 14, 2008
Homer said...

Scorpi,

They are South Africa for a reason :)

Cheers

9:41 AM, April 14, 2008
Soulberry said...

I'm not too unhappy about the pitch Homer, and it is not because India won.

Just hope they continue to provide the variety of pitches which they have done in this test series...three different kind of pitches...rather than focus on one kind of pitch. Makes a test series quite balanced and interesting.

The variety on offer shows that India doesn't care much for the so-called home advantage theory, which is good. Just don't overdo any one single theme.

12:31 PM, April 14, 2008
Homer said...

SB,

SP has captured all the debate about the Kanpur wicket brilliantly.

And I agree, variety helps. Especially when our strength is our bowling :)

Cheers

1:12 PM, April 14, 2008

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